As a life extensionist, I think the Methuselah Mouse Prize is one of the greatest inventions in human history. I cannot wait for it to succeed, just like the X-Prize, within my lifetime. It is amazing what competition and markets can accomplish.
I am also a fan of Ray Kurzweil, although I have my reservations. Kurzweil is perhaps the most mainstream transhumanist in the world. His success as a businessmen and inventor are outstanding, and his promotion of the transhumanist cause has been awesome. Earlier, Kurzweil was very focused upon Artificial Intelligence. His commitment to the cause of Friendly AI, however, led Yudkowsky to write "How Kurzweil Lost The Singularity." I'm not sure that Kurzweil lost anything. But I do detect an inconsistency between his enthusiasm for Artificial Intellegence, and his limiting his activism to books for the general audience and AI Poets.
Since The Age of Spiritual Machines, however, Kurzweil has become more focused upon life extension therapies, even those of dubious worth. His enthusiasm for vitamin milkshakes doesn't bother me so much--even Darwin had his water therapy. If he can afford his expensive therapies, then of course he should do whatever makes him happy. But Kurzweil is also a big fan of Aubrey de Grey and the Mouse Prize. He even mentions Aubrey in his new book Fantastic Voyage, to support his claim that radical life extension is coming. When I read Kurzweil citing de Grey's work, I start to feel excited. I want Kurzweil's predictions to be right, just as he was right about Deep Blue and the Internet. I don't want to die.
But when I consider Kurzweil's wealth and his small contribution to the Mouse Prize, I wonder whether I am detecting the same inconsistency Yudkowsky noted. Kurzweil donated 1,000$, less than half of what ImmInst regulars Reason and Kevin donated. It is also infinitely more than the zero dollars I've donated--but I'm not a millionaire. I would donate if I thought my small contribution would be likely to make a difference, if my donation would be rational. But the Mouse Prize doesn't need 500$. It needs 500$ million. The Prize needs someone with (i) deep pockets and (ii) the vision and moral insight to recognize the Prize's importance. This person could give the Prize a kick-start--his philanthropy could be recorded throughout eternity. Kurzweil fits that description perfectly. Unless we do something, everyone of us is going to die, millionaires and law students alike.
I am not criticizing Kurzweil, so much as I am speculating. He can spend his money any way he chooses. But does he really think that vitamin milkshakes and day spas are more likely to save his life than the Mouse Prize is? If Kurzweil really wants to live forever, wouldn't it be wiser for him to increase his donation by three, or four, orders of magnitude?
